One of Colorado State University’s favorite traditions isn’t just about enjoying a tasty barbecue: It’s also an opportunity for the greater community to learn more about where their food comes from.
“Many people are a couple of generations removed from agriculture or raising animals, and Ag Day offers us an opportunity to show the consumer the faces behind the products they are purchasing,” said Brett Rutledge, a CSU alumnus (’92) who grows wheat and raises cattle and pigs in Yuma, Colorado.
This year’s edition of Ag Day is slated for Saturday, Sept. 30. Before the CSU football team takes on Utah Tech at Canvas Stadium, agricultural producers from across the state will highlight Colorado-grown food products at the Nutrien Ag Day BBQ, an annual event that draws more than 3,000 people and has raised more than half a million dollars to fund scholarships for agricultural science students.
State to Plate: Details about CSU Ag Day and the Nutrien Ag Day Barbecue
When: Saturday, Sept. 30, with a barbecue from 1-4 p.m.
Where: The intramural fields west of the Lory Student Center
Tickets: Game and barbecue ticket packages start at $40 for adults and $33 for youth. Barbecue-only tickets are $22 for adults and $12 for youth. Admission to the football game is free for CSU students, who can claim a barbecue ticket for only $12. (Editor’s note: Tickets are now sold out)
For more details, visit: agsci.colostate.edu/agday..
CSU celebrates Ag Day weekend with the Ag Day Barbeque and football game against Sacramento State on Sept. 24, 2022 (Photo by John Eisele, CSU Photography).
“Ag Day is really like a family – there’s a group of eight of us who have been there since I can remember, and I look forward to seeing them every year,” said Rutledge, who has only missed one Ag Day in the last 30 years.
Tyler Mitchell, a 2006 CSU graduate who now operates a potato farm in the San Luis Valley with his brother, says he appreciates Ag Day because it gives farmers like him an opportunity to tell their stories.
“It’s so important for people to know where food is coming from and how supporting local producers keeps food in the state and boosts the economy,” Mitchell said. “Also, events like this are a way for us to help show the next generation the opportunities that come with a degree in agriculture.”
For more details about CSU Ag Day, visit: agsci.colostate.edu/agday
And to test your knowledge when it comes to Colorado agriculture, take the interactive quiz below:
